How and where do liveaboards, who does not own or maintain a shoreside residence, establish a legal residence for the purpose of 1)Taxes, 2)Voting, 3)Driver's licenses, 4)Car registration, 5)Boat documentation, 6)Phone/internet service, 7)Mail, 8)etc.?

There is a difference between a liveaboard and a full-time cruiser. Liveaboards can often use their marina as a legal mailing address and such. Full-time cruisers can use a mail forwarding service like St. Brendan's Isle.

Most states require some proof of residency—often something as simple as a utility bill at an in-state mailing address.

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Telstar 28
New England

You know what the first rule of sailing is? ...Love. You can learn all the math in the 'verse, but you take
a boat to the sea you don't love, she'll shake you off just as sure as the turning of the worlds. Love keeps
her going when she oughta fall down, tells you she's hurting 'fore she keens. Makes her a home.

—Cpt. Mal Reynolds, Serenity (edited)

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There is a difference between a liveaboard and a full-time cruiser. Liveaboards can often use their marina as a legal mailing address and such. Full-time cruisers can use a mail forwarding service like St. Brendan's Isle.

Most states require some proof of residency—often something as simple as a utility bill at an in-state mailing address.

We use Saint Brendan's Isle as full time cruiser's, but we also used SBI while living aboard at the dock too. At some marinas that don't post that they allow liveaboards you can be accepted if you do not use their address. We also found that it was far easiewr for us to change marinas at whim without the hassle of requiring an address change when all our mail and official residence was with St. Brendan's. Take care and joy, Aythya crew

1) You can sign up for their scanning service where they will scan the envelopes of every piece of mail that comes through. You can then, via a web browser, put it in a queue for when you are ready for them to ship the mail, have them throw it away, or scan the inside contents of the mail and post it as a PDF.

2) They will be fully responsible for every piece of mail that comes through.

3) They can file your USCG documentation on your behalf if you are out of the country.

4) They can help you set up residency in FL. This is helpful for things like voting - if you move out of your house, what's your residence and where do you vote? You can also get a driver's license once you've set up residency. Residency is a strange thing - if you don't set up a mail drop, whose jurisdiction are you under for paying taxes (ugh), voting and other areas that require residency.

s/v "Pelican" Passport 40 #076- Finished Cruising - for the moment - To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts."Don't dream your life, live your dream" - Bob Bitchin'
"I'll see it when I believe it" - Me

Having a Florida residency has two major benefits and one major drawback. On the good side, there is no state income tax, and you will not get hassled by the local constabularies for having out-of-state stickers on your boat (this is a big-deal in the Sunshine State). On the bad side, if you register a car, here, there is a one-time environmental impact fee of $500 for your first registered car.

On the other matter, I am considering starting a snail-mail forwarding service. There is a mountain of permits and regulations to abide, but I am wondering if there would really be a big enough market to justify all the bureaucratic torture.

Please let me know if, theoretically, you might be interested. I live in Charlotte County, Florida.

Having a Florida residency has two major benefits and one major drawback. On the good side, there is no state income tax, and you will not get hassled by the local constabularies for having out-of-state stickers on your boat (this is a big-deal in the Sunshine State)..........................."

There's cetainly no question that Florida has no state income tax, but evidence that local enforcement agencies are biased against boaters with an out of state registration is subjective and annecdotal. I've cruised in Florida with a Maryland and with Florida registration with frequent anchoring since 1972 without question form any authority. I know some have had some negative experiences, but I doubt if it's a result of their registration. Take care and joy, Aythya crew

Since you are required to have a street address for many purposes - USCG Documentation for one - we use a UPS Store. According to our instructions, they forward first class mail only, either on a regular schedule like once a week, or on demand. When in transit we just tell them to hold it. When we arrive at a destination we call or email and have them send a packet to us.

There's cetainly no question that Florida has no state income tax, but evidence that local enforcement agencies are biased against boaters with an out of state registration is subjective and annecdotal. I've cruised in Florida with a Maryland and with Florida registration with frequent anchoring since 1972 without question form any authority. I know some have had some negative experiences, but I doubt if it's a result of their registration...

Ah, yes. I often suspect that he untold "story behind the story" is probably the more interesting part when I see one of these little tales of tales of woe.

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Telstar 28
New England

You know what the first rule of sailing is? ...Love. You can learn all the math in the 'verse, but you take
a boat to the sea you don't love, she'll shake you off just as sure as the turning of the worlds. Love keeps
her going when she oughta fall down, tells you she's hurting 'fore she keens. Makes her a home.

—Cpt. Mal Reynolds, Serenity (edited)

If you're new to the Sailnet Forums... please read this To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts..

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